Wrench



06h29, 1929. C, E, MORSE 1,733,355

` WRENCH Filed July 25, 1927 Patented Oct. 29, 1929 PATENT OFFICE CALVIN E. MORSE, OF DES MOINES, IOWA WRENCH Application filed July 25, 1927.

In connection with the installation of electrical wiring in buildings, it is now customary t embed in the walls and ceiling a metal conduit for the wires, and at intervals throughout the length of the metal conduits there are metal switch boxes, which switch boxes are enclosed on all sides except one through which access is had to the switch, and which open surface is usually placed flush with the surface of the wall or ceiling. The metal conduits lead through one end of the switch box and are connected with the switch box by two nuts screwed on the metal conduit and engage opposite sides of the opening in the switch box through which the conduits are projected.

The nuts that are usually employed on the interior of the box are usually formed of a circular rim with peripherial ribs thereon, which may be conveniently grasped by an operators hand or by a pair of pliers. However, the space within the fuse box in which these nuts mustbe placed is very limited and it is extremely ditlicult to place the nut in position on the metal conduit, and it is very dificult to screw the nut on tightly with a pair of pliers.

The object of my invention is to provide a wrench of simple, durable and inexpensive construction into which the nut may be placed and temporarily held, and then the wrench with the nut held in place on it may be readily and easily inserted into the narrow space within the switch box and the nut may be accurately held to proper position relative to the screw 'threaded end of the conduit and readily and quickly turned toV position for screwing the nut tightly in place.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the ob]ects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed outin my claims, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, 1n

d which:

i Figure 1 shows a'sectional View of a portion of a fuse box and my improved wrench in position within the fuse box, and in engagement with a nut and in position for turning the nut.

In this view the metal conduit and the nuts 'thereon are shown in side elevation.

Serial No. 208,252.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a nut of the kind ordinarily employed in connection with metal conduits in buildings; and

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the nut and a sectional view of the adjacent portion of my improved wrench applied thereto. The dotted lines show the wrench moved upwardly relative to the nut to illustrate the position of the lugs when out of contact with the body of the nut.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my improved wrench is seen to comprise a handle member 10 having a central opening through one end. Projected into this central opening is a spring actuated ratchet device 11 normally forced inwardly by a spring 12. lVithin this opening in the handle there is mounted a cylindrical ratchet toothed body portion 13, the ratchet teeth thereon being designed to co-operate with the ratchet device '11. At one end of the body portion 13 there 1s a circular flange 1-1 designed to engage, and project outwardly beyond, one face of the handle member surrounding the opening therein, and at the outer end of this flange there is formed a thin cylindrical rim 15 open at its outer end. On the side of the handle member opposite from the ange 111 is a circular plate 16 detachably held in position on the body portion 13 by the screws 17, and whereby the handle is rotatively supported in position on the body portion 13, and between the flange 14 and the plate 16.

Mounted in the rim 15 is a series of jaws 18 equally spaced apart and preferably adjustably connected with the rim 15 by having their outer portions screw threaded at 19 to enter screw threaded openings in the rim 15. The inner ends of these teeth 18 are shaped and designed to engage certain portions of a nut and the sides of the teeth y1S are shaped 95."

and` designed to engage'ribs on a nut as will hereinafter appear. y

The usual metal conduit employed in electrical wiring in buildings comprises a metal conduit 20 and a number of switch boxes. lcd

outer face or the switch box. It is, however,

not convenient or practicable to use a nut of this character on the interior of the bo'x for the reason that there is not room enough in which to operate an ordinarywrench, and hence there is now usually employed' for this purpose a nutof the character illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, which consists of a circular rib body portion 23 screw threaded on its interior and having its outer surface slightly tapered at 24 toward that end of the nut which is placed nearest the center of the switch Abornand on the periphery of the nut there isv formed a. series of lugs 25 equally spacco apart and yraisedfabove the surface 24, so that the nut may be conveniently grasped and turned hand, andmay be alsoreadily turned with a pair of pliers which is the instrument usually employed by electricians for this work.

In practical use withmy improvement, and when it is desired to apply one of the nuts tothe inetalconduit yon the interior of a switch-box, the operator places the'nut in the wrench and gently forces it into the wrench far enough so` that the inner ends of the. teehlS will ,engage the tapered surfaces 24 between the ribs 25 in such a manner that the nut` is lfirmly held in this position. Then the wrench with the nut4 accurately centered in, it is placed in the fuse box with the threads ot `the nut adjacent to the threaded end of themetal conduit. In this mannerthe nut threads can be readily Vand easily started upon the conduit. ,As soon as the threads are vin operative engagement, then the operator simply reciprocates the handle member, and

by means of the ratchet device firmly screwsy thenut on the metal conduit. During this movement'the teeth 18 engage the ribs /25 so that the wrenchwill not slip relative to the nut. In myvdevice, the teeth 18 are so positioned relative to each other. that when the handle is moved in one direction, one edge of each tooth will be in positive engagementv Y with o-ne of ,the ribs'25 on the nut, so that the pressure of these teethupon the ribs is i equally distributed. During the time the nut is'being screwed upon the metal conduit, the nut will ymove outwardly relative to the rim l5, and tlheteeth 1,8 are atall times free Lto slide longitudinally.,against the sides/'of the ribs 25 without becoming disengagedfroin them. Hence, when the nut has been screwed tightly into position, the wrench can be easily removed.

l claim as my invention: Y Y

l. A wrench for use in connection with nuts of the class that have substantially cylindricalv tapered outer surfaces andoutwardly extended longitudinal ribs on their outer surfaces, said wrench comprising a body, means for rotating the body, a substantially cylindrical flange projected from one end of the body, the body and flange being shaped to receive a nut with the flange completely enclosing it but spaced apa-rt from it, and with the'nut restingagain'st the adjacent end of thebody, a series of teeth adjustably mounted in the flange projected inwardly toward the center of the flange andl spaced Vapart lfrom the body said teeth being adapted to engagev and frictionally hold'a nut inserted within the flange and against the end ofthe body andalso to engage the ribs on the nut, said parts being so shaped and proportioned that the wrench is being turned to screw the ninJ against an article to be clamped thereby the edge of the flange will engage said article and force the wrenchaway from the mit, tothereby loosen the innerends ofsaid teeth from frictional engagement with Athe tapered sides of the nut', and VVatthe same time permitting the sides of the teeth to continue in engagementwith `the ribs' onthe nut. Y n v 2A wrench for use in connection with nuts of tne class that have substantially cylindrical outer suirfaces and outwardly extended longitudinal ribs on their outer surfaces, said wrench comprising a body, meansfor rotating the body, a substantially cylindrical flange projected from one endA of the body, the body and `flange being shaped to receive a nut with the flange completely enclosing it but spaced apart fromit and with the n ut resting against the adjacent end of the body, a series of teeth adjustably mounted in the flange projected inwardly toward thecenter of the flange and spaced apart from the body, said teeth being adapted to engage and fric-v tionally hold a nut inserted within the flange Y and against the end ofthe body and also to engage the ribs onthe nut,lsaid parts being so shaped and proportioned 1 that as' the wrench is being vturned to screw 4,the nut against an article to be clamped thereby, the edge of the flange will engage lsaid'article and force the.'A wrench away from the nut. and at thcsame time .permitting thefsidesA of the teeth to'A continue Y in'v engagement with the ribs on 'l y VtneA nut. Y 

